


Cages, Closets, and Claustrophobia

by Frog_that_writes



Category: OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes
Genre: Carol is a good mother, Hurt/Comfort, K.O. tried to bottle up his issues, Panic Attacks, Real World Consequences, having your mind taken over is never a pleasent experience, poor thing needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-06-25
Packaged: 2019-05-28 07:40:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15043970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frog_that_writes/pseuds/Frog_that_writes
Summary: K.O. just wanted to go to work and fight some evils robots. He was not prepared to confront his repressed fears from having dealt with a previously unknown viscous entity locking him in a cage in his own mind as he was forced to watch those he cared about get hurt.And to think it all happened because he put his broom away for once.





	Cages, Closets, and Claustrophobia

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place between "T.K.O" and "You're in Control"

It had been about 2 weeks since K.O. had been lured into creating TK.O. by Shadowy Figure. He was still beating himself up over allowing the villain to trick him that easily, and figured his mom and friends were feeling the same way, considering they barely ever let him out of their sight for more than a five minutes anymore. Other than that, though, it had been mainly business as usual around the plaza. K.O. knew T.K.O. was still an uncontrollable force and was wary of letting him out and causing potential damage to the plaza or being powerless to help while T.K.O. hurt his mommy or friends while he was stuck in his own mind. For now he was content to drown out headaches that came from. T.K.O. constantly begging to be let out with loud conversations with his friends and cartoons.

“K.O! You ready to go yet, hun?” His mom’s words shook him out of his thoughts and reminded him that he had to leave for work soon.

“Yeah mommy!” He called back “I'll be done in a second.” K.O. shoved his powcards in his pocket and slipped on his Gar’s Bodega Vest (capitalized due to importance) before following his mom into her car. 

“You excited for work today stewball?” Carol asked once they got on the road. 

“Yup! I hope I get to fight some evil robots this time. There have barely been any lately.” K.O. said. Mr. Boxman had seemed lackluster in his attempts to dominate the plaza lately, so the young hero was hoping for a chance for some action. 

“I'm sure there will be. Just make sure you don't get in over your head. Back off and let Enid and Rad handle it if you have to.” Carol loved her son but he had a tendency to want to prove himself and ignore his limits.

“I will mommy, don’t worry. Oh we’re here! I'll see you after work, love you mommy!”   
K.O. was out of the car before Carol had a chance to say anything and she couldn't help but let out a chuckle as the boy ran to the bodega as she got out and walked to her dojo at a much more sedate pace. Her son had way to much energy, but she loved him for it. 

 

“Hi Enid! Hi Rad!” K.O. said as he walked through to automatic doors of the bodega. “Do anything cool after work yesterday?” 

“Nah, just did normal Rad stuff y’know…. lift weights…. save a damsel in distress…. kill an evil robot.” K.O. looked at Rad with awe. He was so cool!

“Don’t listen to him K.O.” Enid started after seeing the look on his face. “I went to Rad’s house yesterday and we played Battle Robot 7XX for like 4 hours straight, until Rad passed out on the floor with his face on a piece of pizza.” 

“Aw c’mon Enid my reputation!” Rad whined dramatically dropping the box of dyno-dinos he had been carrying.

“Aw it's okay Rad! I still think you’re cool.” K.O. said with a small laugh. 

“Thanks K.O.”

“Well if you two are done, Rad you should probably make sure you didn't break anything, and K.O. should probably cleaned up whatever you did break with your theatrics.” Enid reminded them from her perch on the counter as she continued to read her copy of “Which Witch?” 

“Ugh fine. But only if you actually check out the three people that are waiting in line right now. It's annoying when they complain.” Rad said, starting a small squabble between the two elder employees while K.O. went out in search of his broom which seemed to be missing from its usual place next to the register.

“Hey guys,” K.O. called interrupting the argument, “have you seen my broom?” 

“Uh yeah K.O. we put it in the closet yesterday before we locked up, remember?” Enid didn't wait for the boys reply before launching right back into it with Rad.

“Oh thanks!” He replied unnecessarily before walking towards the broom closet. It was a tiny closet near the entrance to Mr. Gar’s office that rarely got used. In fact, K.O. can’t even recall why they put the broom there yesterday anyways, since it normally sat in the store accompanied by its dustpan until it was time for the employee to use it. 

K.O. opened the door to the closet and looked around for something to keep the door open while he searched for a few moments before shrugging it off and using his foot. He immediately regretted the decision when he walked in and saw the broom leaning against the back ball, just out of reach. K.O. nonetheless tried to reach for the broom knowing Mr. Gar would be at the store soon and would be upset to see a mess. He inched his arm forward trying to grasp the handle while keeping his foot against the door when he slipped and heard the door shut behind him.

K.O. suddenly realized how dark the closet was. There were no windows and the light bulb had long ago burned out. The only light came from the crack under the door. He reached forward to open the door only for it to juggle futilely and for him to find it locked. 

He was once again struck with a realization, this time of how small the space was. Standing in the middle he was incapable of putting both arms all the way outward at his sides. The ceiling was a fair bit above him, with how short he is, but it felt like it was about to touch his head. K.O. felt himself sit down and curl up slightly in an attempt to have more space but that only made the area seem tighter. He couldn't see anything beyond his nose and couldn't feel anything but the panic creeping in at the edge of his mind. The little he could see before was blurring and his breath was going far too fast.

Beyond the panic that was taking up almost all of his conscious and unconscious thought he heard the noise from outside of the closet stop, which he vaguely registered as meaning Enid and Rad had stopped fighting. It remained quiet for another moment and the only sound K.O. heard was his laboured quickened breathing the he was desperately trying to slow until he heard footsteps approaching the door in front of him causing him to instinctively curl tighter into himself. 

When the door was open and light was spilled into the closet K.O. didn't hesitate to launch himself at whichever person had opened to door. When he registered the sound of his mother trying to comfort him the small part of him that still had any sense was relieved. The overwhelming urge to apologize outweighed the relief, though.

“I'm sorry! I tried to hold the door open but I couldn't and it just shut and it was so dark in there and it was like being in the cage again and I didn't know what to do! I was so scared and it felt like I couldn't do anything and I don't want to go in the cage again! He’ll hurt you and I want be able to do anything and it will all be my fault.”

Whatever Carol had managed to get out of that through the sobs that were being muffled into her shoulder definitely didn't paint a pretty picture to her. She was going to have to set her son down and talk about this.   
‘After he’s feeling better’ She mentally added after a particularly loud sob.

“Its okay peanut. Do you wanna go home? Eugene won’t mind if you take one day off.” She added noticing his hesitation. K.O. tentatively nodded and she carried him out to her car and placed him in the back seat before getting in and pulling out of the lot

“Mommy, what were you doing at the bodega anyways?” K.O. asked after a few minutes of silence while he tried to calm his breathing down. 

“I just came to bring you your backpack. You left it in the car again. Enid and Rad told me you went into the closet to get your broom a few minutes before I got there and that you hadn't come out yet.”

“Oh. Well I'm glad you came.”

“Me too bub, me too.”


End file.
